That after-hours email you send because you think it gives you a head start on the next day could have a detrimental impact on the receiver. The cumulative effect of after-hours emails can be emotional exhaustion.

A recent Fast Company article highlights how the innocent, well-intentioned, late-night email can make the person receiving it feel as if he needs to get out of bed to respond to it.

“In the study, participants reported spending an average of eight hours a week doing company-related emails after hours. The greater the amount of time spent on after-hours work, the less successful the employees were at detaching from work. This translated into poorer work-family balance, and even contributed to emotional exhaustion.”

” … it’s the expectation that makes you exhausted. It wasn’t about the time spent on email; it was assumed availability. Having an anticipation of work created a constant stressor.”